[problem] Disk UUID issues (?) - yet again

[f456]

Hey,

This morning i fired up VirtualBox GUI only to find one of my VMs "unaccessabel".
I removed it and tried to re-add it, but it wouldnt let me:

Failed to open virtual machine located in D:/VMs/.../myvm.vbox.

Could not find an open hard disk with UUID {06caeccb-9df1-4aa1-91b1-101a852fc977}.

Result Code: VBOX_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND (0x80BB0001)
Component: VirtualBox
Interface: IVirtualBox {3b2f08eb-b810-4715-bee0-bb06b9880ad2}

All i can say is that the HDD of that VM is in place, and has always been. (same path as the .vbox file)
Absolutely nothing changed from yesterday to today.

Interestingly, the "virtual media manager" completely forgot about the HDD, too. And there doesnt appear to be an easy way to add a .vhd file.

So what did i have to do to get my original VM working again?
Easy enough:
1) Create a new VM, and select the .vhd file you want as a HDD.
2) The VMM now knows about the .vhd file...again
3) import the old .vbox file, which will work fine now.


There is no problem anymore now.
But this is a typical example of the vhd-UUID related issues i am battling regularly at work, too, where we are using vbox on a larger scale.

[mpack]

Those are goofy instructions, describing a procedure which is likely to cause exactly the problem you are trying to work around. If that is your standard practice then it's no wonder you have continuing problems.

The correct way to mount existing media file in an existing VM is to move the disk image into the VM folder, then use the Storage tab of the VM settings to mount it.

OTOH, with the procedure you describe the media will belong to the dummy VM you created. When you eventually delete that dummy VM you will kill the VM you thought you had fixed.

[f456]

Yup, facing the exact same problem today again.

The correct way to mount existing media file in an existing VM is to move the disk image into the VM folder, then use the Storage tab of the VM settings to mount it.

The disk image is and has always been in that folder.
I am well aware of how to add a .vhd file properly, but i cant even reach the settings page for the VM, see the attached screenshot.

(the first 3 VMs are supposed to be inaccessable, the other two should be fine)